


Dreaming in Distant Places

by EnigmaticPerfection



Series: Enigmatic's Quarantine and Chill [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Isolation, Mutual Pining, Online Friendship, Online Relationship, POV Oliver Queen, Pen Pals, Pining, Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive (Arrow TV 2012), Smitten Oliver Queen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:54:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24947980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnigmaticPerfection/pseuds/EnigmaticPerfection
Summary: Oliver Queen never thought a long-distance work project would be so rewarding. It has nothing to do with work, but the genius blonde he meets who lives countless miles away from him.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: Enigmatic's Quarantine and Chill [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694653
Comments: 75
Kudos: 151
Collections: Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive: 'pining' + 'online penpals in isolation'  
> (Is this challange still a thing? I'm counting yes because the collection says it's still open lol)
> 
> Meet me, the girl who has an idea for a fic, writes around 80% of it in 1, 2 days then finishes months later. (Edit: it's no longer a oneshot lol)
> 
> Potential trigger warning: I don't name anything here, I just brush over the situation, but Oliver and Felicity are in quarantine because of a disease.
> 
> English is not my first language and I don't have a beta, so apologies for any mistakes.  
> Kudos/comments light any writer's day!

He sighs as he turns on the computer. _Here we go._

For all Oliver Queen’s characteristics, tech prowess is not one of them. The irony is not lost on him as he works in a company known for being a reference in innovation. Oliver is a ruthless businessman and his expertise lies in uncanny skills of reading people, learning their strengths and weaknesses and using all this information for the company’s benefit. His intelligence is strategic. Surprisingly he also got good at dealing with numbers, considering that back at school he failed algebra.

But then again, the Oliver from many years ago is infinitely different than the one now. He learned that he only didn’t succeed previously in life was because he didn’t apply himself hard enough.

Still, computer skills aren’t his thing.

He curses as he clicks on the link to download the app. It’s QC Teams, designed to enable online teamwork anytime, anywhere. It converged calendar, documents, meetings and project management in one thing. All to improve productivity. Easy and fast.

Not so easy though.

Though the app has existed for a couple of years, Oliver never needed to download it - at least not to his personal computer. He did everything work-related at Queen Consolidated’s headquarters.

Except he can’t go to the office now as the whole world is facing the threat of a deadly virus and most countries are in a lockdown.

And since an important company such as QC can’t stop, employees are now working from home. Internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

Hence why he has to use QC Teams.

The lockdown was established right before QC started a project with Central City-based Helix Dynamics, a software company specialized in artificial intelligence and predictive analysis. It aimed to place QC at the forefront of the so-called Industry 4.0. So instead of personally welcoming the Helix Dynamics team in Starling as it was scheduled, everything now will be done online.

It’s the first conception and innovation project he was assigned to ever since he started working at QC. Being the founding family’s heir, Oliver’s place at CEO is certain. But he chose to start from the bottom, learning everything the company did, as he truly wants to be the best leader possible. He mostly worked with marketing, finance and corporate management, and now he is taking the first dive in technology and innovation waters.

If he were to be honest, Oliver is a bit nervous. He thinks being at home during a pandemic is just creating more difficulty to the project. It stirred once deeply-rooted fears of not being good enough to carry on a legacy.

The QC website provides an introduction to the QC Teams app, but still Oliver struggles a bit. He manages to gather all the contacts he needs for the meeting in one virtual room. He sends all invites and a pin to their agendas and calendars. He needs to figure out the whole link thing to the outsiders before the meeting starts in one hour.

Somehow he screws up and when the beeping starts echoing from the computer he realizes he actually called one of the team members. He immediately tries to cancel the call.

“Fucking hell,” he grunts just right when the bluish screen disappears and a person appears.

“Oh my, this is an unusual greeting,” the cheerful voice says.

Oliver realizes it’s a woman. Blonde, sparkly blue eyes framed by rectangular glasses and plump pink lips curled into a teasing, soft smile, though her delicate features carry some confusion.

His stomach drops and he tells himself it’s because of embarrassment. Not because she looks like a goddess.

She’s wearing a shirt that looks work attire, though her hair is up in a messy bun. She looks she’s in the middle of getting a bit presentable to the meeting.

Oliver planned on doing this too, changing his grey t-shirt to a button up once he set the meeting.

He squeezes his eyes shut realizing the woman heard him cursing. There also might be the faintest blush on his cheeks. Why does he feel like a bumbling mess in front of that woman?

A million lies rush through his head to explain the call. Oliver is an outstanding liar when he wants to. But seeing the woman’s amused glance he suddenly feels like a school boy caught by the principal and goes for the truth.

“I’m sorry...” He checks her name on the contact info part of the screen. “Felicity Smoak?” The name rolls off his lips, his tongue savors every syllable instinctively, voice suddenly becoming smooth. Felicity. _Fe-li-ci-ty._ It’s power and grace. Strong and soft. Sweet and fiery. He clears his throat, trying to return his business tone. _“_ I’m sorry. I’m new to this app and I was setting the meeting and ended up calling you.”

Her smile is heartwarming. “It’s okay. For mere seconds you missed me in just a bra.” Her eyes widen. “Except I’m not wearing a bra cause I’m home.” She winces. “I _do_ wear bras at work, just want to make it clear. You know, _normal_ work.” She makes a funny face: her mouth opens agape, her eyes squeeze shut and she takes a deep breath before muttering, “TMI, Felicity, TMI. Stop talking about bras.”

Seeing her also getting flustered destroys the embarrassment he feels. It’s his turn to be amused.

He also briefly imagines her in just a bra then _without_ a bra but quickly shuts down the crazy, unexpected thought.

“I mean, it’s okay. Home office is turning out to be a bit more complicated than we expected,” Felicity adds.

Her personality is apparently charming. It suits her sunshine appearance and name.

“What kind of team leader am I who can’t even properly use the app?” He gives a self-deprecating chuckle.

She laughs in return. A delightful sound Oliver immediately likes. Felicity makes laughing the easiest thing in the world.

“So you’re QC’s team leader, huh?”

“Yes. Hi, I’m Oliver Queen,” he introduces himself still carrying the ghost of a smile.

She looks curious. “I thought you’d be the CEO or something.”

“Nope.” He opens a dry, forced smile, not wanting to explain the situation that took him where he is now. She doesn’t seem to bother.

“Anyway, I’m Felicity Smoak. Helix’s team leader.”

He looks impressed. She looks so young yet she occupies a high position. He knew the Helix’s team leader is their Vice-President of Innovations.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Smoak.”

“Please call me Felicity. No need for formality, especially because I’m wearing half of my pajamas.”

“Then call me Oliver.”

“Ok, Oliver.” She smiles. He loves how his name sounds on her lips. “So... Did you manage to set the meeting or do you need some help?”

“I think I do,” he sheepishly answers.

Heaven knows what she’s thinking of him now. A team leader who can’t even work a computer properly.

He doesn’t know why he’s bothered at the thought. Oliver never cared for people’s opinion of him and here he is with a woman he doesn’t know and thinking about what her opinion of him is.

But the smile she replies him with seems sincere. He senses Felicity is not the kind of person who acts in half-truths or masks. He feels she’s genuine.

“Alright.”

Then she graciously explains to him and the way she speaks makes everything so easy he kind of feels like a fool.

“Thank you so much, Felicity.” He sighs in relief.

“No problems. See you in a few minutes?”

“Alright. Bye.”

* * *

When the meeting starts, the first thing he notices is Felicity. His eyes immediately move to the rectangular she occupies on the top right corner of his screen. This time her long hair falls in a golden cascade with soft curls and she applied a bit of makeup. Her lips are bright pink, her lashes seem longer and there’s a slight blush that wasn’t there before.

Overall it’s a great meeting. It’s mostly introductory, as members from both companies talk a little bit about themselves. Then they talk about the project itself, schedule, schematics and a little bit of budget.

Oliver is impressed with Felicity. She makes people feel at ease. Her quips about the quarantine and that she imagines everyone looking fancy only from the waist up fill the air with lightness and eradicates any awkwardness (“No need to be embarrassed if you’re not wearing pants. We’ll all be there at some point.”). She’s highly charismatic, the kind of person that draws you in. Her speech is both informative and objective; she has a way of explaining that makes things seem so simple. Her mind is agile and she makes poignant statements.

All in all, she seems like a great partner for that endeavor. There’s a side of him that kind of feels intimidated by her. Her intelligence is vastly technical, as she is a Computer Scientist, and this is a technical project.

But he won’t screw up. His goal is to rebuild his family’s company and use it to the good of the city and the country and nothing would stop him.

When he announces the end of the meeting, Oliver is surprised with himself for feeling reluctant. He isn’t fond of meetings, especially the long, boring ones, but this meeting went by faster than he expected. And with less formality that made it more productive and not feel like work.

He succeeds in setting the next meeting on the app’s agenda, and a wave of pride washes over him. Through the corner of his eyes, he gets a glimpse of a smile curving Felicity’s lips. He’s pretty sure he let out some of that pride cover his features.

Before closing the app and turning off the computer, he looks at Felicity’s contact for long seconds.

* * *

The next day there’s another meeting. Except in this one there are only Oliver and Felicity as team leaders. Today her hair is up in a neat ponytail.

“Nice work yesterday,” she compliments with an honest tone. He preens a little bit because that is simply the brainiac behind the project. “Seems like it’s gonna be fun even with the current restrictions.”

“I’m feeling very positive about this project as well,” he states.

“And I saw how you scheduled the next meeting so skillfully,” she teases.

Oliver isn’t used to people teasing him. He’s not the kind of man to play with. He’s well aware that he is known in office as being standoffish and a bit of a bastard. However Felicity did it in such a heartwarming way he couldn’t help but enjoying.

She’s a breath of fresh air in such a dreadful world right now.

“I learn with my mistakes,” he says in the same tone, earning a laugh from her.

The meeting transcends work, and they start talking about the messy world they’re living in right now and how they’re dealing with it.

“The snacks I bought for two weeks?” Felicity says. “Pretty sure they’ll be gone within a couple of days. But it’s not my fault, I mean, I’m not a cook and I have to eat somehow. Not to mention, I stress eat. Being home all day with nothing except work to do? I’m getting hungrier than usual. So that’s my day. Eating and Netflix and chilling.” She winces. “Not like that. Because I live alone and there’s no one in my life.”

Oliver is interested in the last piece of information.

“But the good part is I spend my entire day in pjs. I have a lot of pjs, mostly I had no idea of, because I usually wear just the same three, four pjs. Except, you know, when I have a meeting and people will see my face, so I just put on a nice shirt or blouse. So quarantine is like Pajamas Fashion Week. Soon my other clothes will start missing me.”

His lips tremble in a smile. She has a great sense of humor. Something about her take makes him feel like smiling a lot and in a genuine way. And he’s incapable of holding back such smiles.

“I can’t do this,” he says honestly. “I have to change to feel like the day is beginning and going somewhere. I’m trying my best to keep some sort of routine.”

“It’s a smart move. I read some tips from psychologists and therapists about how to deal with this change and this is one of them.”

Oliver doesn’t know how much time they spend talking. Feels like it’s more than what they spent talking about work.

He never got along with someone so fast and so effortlessly. There’s a connection between them he can’t describe with precision, just feel. A connection that draws him in and hopefully the same goes with her.

When they hang up, a deep inside a voice whispers he’s smitten by the lovely Miss Smoak.

* * *

Oliver is an active man. When he’s not working, he’s exercising and working out. His social life is not what it once used to be, consisting mostly in just dinners at Diggle’s or with Thea, going to the bar here and then with Tommy and Sara and the occasional work-related events. He talks a lot with Thea since she loves calling, Diggle texts to check on him, and he communicates with the Tommy and Sara on the group chat Sara created. At first he got a bit annoyed because the two talk a lot but then the group came in handy as the country closed and that became the main mean of communication with his great friends. Sara had even insisted on group video calls, but Oliver adamantly denied.

Which is why is a bit strange he finds himself in a lot of video calls with Felicity. And, contrary to what he believed such calls would be - full of uncomfortable silences and everybody just staring at each other’s faces -, it’s not awkward.

His quarantined life ended up not being much different from before. Oliver is a man of routine so he decided to set a routine for indoors. On work days, he wakes up with the alarm, works then during the evening he works out. Luckily he set up a few training equipment in the spare room of his apartment, so he doesn’t even risk going to the building’s gym. He pretty much only goes out once a week either to do some grocery shopping or just circling the block with his car so it could keep functioning properly.

The real difference is that now that he’s at home, he spends more time cooking and trying new recipes he’s wanted for quite some time and work got in the way. It’s therapeutic.

He lives alone, but doesn’t mind loneliness. But there were some days where boredom just hit him or the feeling of being trapped creeps into his being and blossoms into anxiety, and his own company doesn’t seem enough.

And now with project in progress he finds himself wanting to call Felicity. She fills the apartment with her light, wit, sass and incredible brains. He likes that, how the world doesn’t seem so bad when she’s talking. It ends up she becomes the person he speaks the most on a daily basis.

The number of personal video calls they make to each other sharply increases. They talk a lot about random stuff, just getting to know each other. Well, Oliver listens more than talks but he doesn’t mind. He’s happy with letting her take control of the conversation and take it wherever she wishes. She babbles and he finds it fascinating. She goes from scientific facts to pieces of herself to hobbies and culture in a dizzying but extraordinary pace. They talk about tv shows and movies. Apparently she loves sci-fi and fantasy. He hears a lot about this Doctor Who thing.

“What do you mean you never watched any of the Star Wars movies?” Felicity is scandalized as if Oliver just confessed to committing horrific crimes. She’s wearing just an MIT shirt, no makeup and uncombed hair. He likes seeing her so casual. It just accentuates her striking beauty.

Oliver is casual himself with a dark blue t-shirt and sweatpants. He’s sitting on his living room couch, feet on the coffee table, supporting his computer with a pillow. He regrets not changing it to a tablet - yes, now all of his devices have the Teams app. In the back of his mind, somethings whispers to him that that is not how he’s supposed to be using the app. Whatever, it’s his company, his rules.

He shrugs before answering. “The opportunity never came.”

Felicity’s mouth is agape as if she’s lost for words. He chuckles with the image. “ _Oh. My. God._ You lost several points with me, Oliver. This is unbelievable and unacceptable! You got plenty of time in your hands, mister, watch it now!” And then she goes on another ramble of the many orders there are to watch the movies.

She even wants to show him her lightsaber. She disappears off the screen and Oliver can’t help but studying her place. He only gets a glimpse of colors and realizes her home is warm and cozy, an embodiment of her vivacious personality. She already told him she lives in a townhouse with a little private courtyard, which came in handy now as she’s able to sunbathe a little. Oliver feels the sun best during the afternoon when the light beams enter through the floor to ceiling windows of his apartment.

Felicity returns grinning, looking beyond adorable with a green lightsaber lit on. Oliver laughes, her excitement filling his chest, making him even more relaxed.

“Ok, Mr. Grumpy. I really can’t pinpoint your style. So tell me what you like watching,” she asks after she lays down her toy.

He thinks for an instant. “I watch a lot of cooking channels and shows. Recently I’ve been drawing inspiration from those more than usual.”

“Oh you cook?” She cocks an eyebrow. “This is a great ability to have now.”

“I love it,” he finds himself confessing. The walls he had up facing the world didn’t even seem to exist around this intriguing woman. “You?”

Felicity huffs a laugh. “Well let’s say there’s this memorable moment when my dorm back at the MIT had to be evacuated in the middle of the night and there was smoke involved… And my roommate made jokes about my name for two long, long weeks…” She becomes uncharacteristically sheepish, yet Oliver only finds it amusing. Blush spreads from her face down to her collarbone, disappearing inside her _Love Bytes_ shirt, and for a moment he wonders where it stops. He _wants_ to see how far the shade of pink goes.

Oliver shakes his head, forcing the thought to go away. Biting back a chuckle, he continues sharing about him, which comes way easier than expected since it’s not something he does often. “Oh I also enjoy Survivor.”

“Really?” Felicity tilts her head. “I mean, I kinda get it. You do seem like the type. You look athletic from here… not – not that I was checking you out. I mean, _noticed._ ”

He can’t help but preening a bit. He exercises because he enjoys the endorphins-filled state during and also because it’s how he deals with his inner turmoil that sometimes holds him hostage. But he can’t deny he enjoys Felicity paying attention to his physique.

“You’re telling me a lot about tv. Tell me about movies, Oliver, movies,” Felicity not so subtly tries to change topic.

With an almost-smile, he follows her lead. “I like Die Hard. Also it’s a Christmas movie, fight me.”

Oliver expects her to jump into the new discussion topic, except she doesn’t speak right away. She’s looking at him, crinkling her brow a little bit, nipping at her lower lip, a sheepish expression covering her features. He senses what she’s going to say.

“Here’s the thing...”

“Oh no!” he amusedly interrupts her. “Don’t tell me you’ve never watched Die Hard, Miss Smoak.”

She opens a mischievous smirk. “Ok I won’t.”

“Smart ass.” He snorts. “You can’t scold me for Star Wars since you never watched Die Hard.”

“It’s just... Another action movie. I’ve watched plenty action movies. They’re basically the same.” She shrugs, trying to explain.

Oliver imagines if the bafflement he feels now is equivalent to what she felt with his Star Wars confession. “It’s not. I can’t explain you this, but it’s not.”

So he boards on a speech about how Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Which then develops into some stories about Christmas, focusing on his sister. He brushes dark memories, and he senses she catches his voice cracking here and then but she doesn’t pressure. He surprises himself with how much he is willing to share when he’s usually so stoic and closed-off. But there’s just something about Felicity that puts him at ease. She makes him feel comfortable. In peace.

He wants more and more of this feeling.

* * *

They exchange personal numbers, leaving the work app behind. Oliver even adds as contact photo a screenshot of her he took during one of their video calls, Felicity does the same, and they laugh seeing the funny, awkward faces they chose for each other. They text each other throughout the day for whatever reason. With emojis and everything.

On a Saturday, he’s pleasantly surprised when his phone beeps. He smiles seeing Felicity’s face. His finger goes immediately to the answer button, but stops mere inches away. Instead, he rushes to the nearest mirror to check his reflection, runs a hand over his hair to make sure it looks good then goes back to the previous spot. Luckily he trimmed his stubble in the morning. Then he admonishes himself because he never cared about his looks. Not to mention Felicity and he never hid their quarantine appearances. He finally answers with his heart leaping for a second.

“Hi Oliver! How are you?” she greets him cheerfully.

Oliver wonders if there’s anything that could make that woman sad.

And if there is, he feels the urge to squash and destroy it to the ground. The sudden feeling surprises him, along with its intensity, but he doesn’t acknowledge much.

“Hi Felicity! I’m okay, you?”

“Great! You busy?”

“Not really.” He is standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows staring at the bay view he had. The day is beautiful, light beams cracking through the clouds and casting a golden glow over the waters and the trees around. Oliver finds himself actually missing feeling the unfiltered rays of sun in his skin, even if Starling isn’t the warmest city on earth. “Why?”

“I have an idea.” Felicity sounds a bit nervous. He doesn’t want her feeling nervous around him.

“So nothing out of the ordinary.” He tries to lighten the mood as she did a few times before and it works. The smile she presents him with is worth it.

“I have this app where you can watch movies in synchrony with other people. It’s easy to use, even for you,” she teases. He knows she’ll never let him forget this mistake. “So... wanna watch a movie with me?”

“Absolutely.” He doesn’t even stop to think.

“Great! I’ll send you the link and I’ll give you a few minutes to set everything. Think of it as a challenge.” Her eyes sparkle with mirth. He rolls his eyes, holding back a smile. “In the mean time I’ll pop some popcorn. God help me.”

She mutters the last words and Oliver almost doesn’t catch them. “What do you mean by that?” He asks as he walks to his TV, changing the app and opening her text.

Her expression freezes for a moment, caught in the act.

A thought occurs to Oliver and his lips tremble with a smile. “Felicity are you telling me you can’t make popcorn?”

She blushes in an adorable way and he laughs. “Hey!” she scoffs him. “I told you. I just... happen not to know how to cook. It’s a Smoak women thing. It’s in our genes,” she bashfully explains.

“But... it’s popcorn. Ok. Let me explain to you. And this is the easiest level. First you tear up the package, then you take the little bag and place it in the microwave oven. Then you click at the ‘popcorn’ button pretty much every device has. Wait for the countdown to end. Done. See? You do no work.”

“Haha. You’re such funny man,” she speaks forcing a dry tone.

“The thing is I’m really not,” Oliver states a bit self-deprecating.

After he adjusts the app on his TV and before they hit play, Oliver decides to make some popcorn himself. Except he doesn’t use the pre-made bag Felicity did, he takes the corn and a pan and heads to the oven. He places the phone on the kitchen counter so she still can watch him and continues to talk.

“This is the next and last level, the easy level,” he teases her.

“Yeah yeah you can make popcorn. Big whoop.”

He puts the popcorn in a bowl, grabs a drink and heads back to the couch. He chuckles when Felicity shows him the red-and-white striped popcorn bucket she recently purchased online. “I’ve got too much time in my hands and 24-hour delivery. I have to get a hold of myself so I won’t lose control. An addiction is what I don’t need in this quarantine.”

She shows a glass of wine, her drink choice. “I also have a thing for this wine website.” She takes a sip while looking at him and for a moment he’s distracted by the way her lips wrap around the glass and her swallowing. He remembers a couple of days ago, during a work meeting, how she chewed on a red pen.

“I like wine too. Nothing like a good dry red.”

Now he’s distracted by the little stain the wine left on her lips, making them even pinker – and more luscious. _What?_ His throat dries.

Her face lights up. “You do? Maybe you’re not entirely a lost cause, Oliver.”

“So what are we going to watch? No offense, Felicity, I don’t think we should start with a movie series like Star Wars or even a marathon. Maybe later.”

Oliver winces the moment he closes his mouth. The way he talked made it look like more of that would happen. He doesn’t want to create any expectations or let her believe he has any.

Though he has to confess he would like more of that happening.

But Felicity doesn’t seem to see his growing uneasiness. She rolls her eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t be up for Star Wars. So I decided to be a charming person and chose Die Hard. Or if you have any other suggestions I’m up for it.”

They end up watching Die Hard. They exchange some words during the movie. Occasionally he quotes some of John McClane’s lines impersonating him which makes her laugh a lot. “You’re such a horrible impersonator,” she says.

When it ends, they watch another.

“This was fun. We need to make more of these sessions,” Felicity states.

Something fills Oliver’s chest and it resembles joy. “Definitely.”

“But I vote no for apocalypse movies. I’m already living one.”

“Yeah, I’m getting tired of living History.” He glances back at the screen and meets the image of Felicity sprawled on her couch wrapped in a blanket. She looks comfy.

“I thought my apocalypse look would consist on weapons and dirt, but in fact it’s pjs.”

“And more alcohol than expected.”

“The day is divided in two: coffee hours then wine hours.”

His mouth twists in a smile. “Can’t argue with that.”

This was the first in a series of movie sessions.

* * *

Oliver and Felicity quickly become friends. They get so used to each other they end up answering their calls with just pajamas, looking a bit rumpled. Outside work meetings, she doesn’t wear make-up, and he likes when he discovers the little freckles she has around her nose.

Today her beautiful face appears with hair down. He noticed she usually pulls it up in a ponytail when they’re working, but a lot of time in their casual calls she has it down. He secretly prefers it that way. His mind wanders, conjuring images of him caressing the long tresses, his fingers diving in the golden sea, wishing to confirm they’re soft at the touch as much as they look like.

She's wearing long-sleeved satin black pajamas with golden stars. It fits her perfectly. “Oliver, meet my favorite pjs!” she happily announces. He laughs, thinking how someone could get so excited with pajamas. How can she be so cute?

Their talk goes to a more personal route. She tells about her time growing up in Vegas. How students at school looked at her weirdly as she was the youngest kid in the most advanced classes. How she wanted to go to Space Camp and how heartbroken she got when her mother said no claiming she didn’t want to be away from her, but in reality it was because her mother couldn’t afford. His own heart cracks, thinking about Felicity as a child so upset her dream could not be fulfilled and as a bullied teen. He feels a wave of protectiveness towards her and an urge to hug and comfort her. To envelope her and protect from any harm. To fight anyone who made her feel insecure and doubt herself.

Then for the first time since they started this pen pal thing Oliver realizes he can’t touch her. That she’s countless miles away from him.

That they might never meet in person. So he will never hug her. Never physically bask in light.

The reality of who they are, the distance splits open a cliff inside him he had no idea could bother him that much.

But he’s also in awe. That all her hurt didn’t break her, didn’t kill the light inside her. Of her resilience, of how she sees the good in everything. She has a fire in her that made her overcome her past experiences and turned her even stronger and more powerful.

At the end of her speech, she ends up sprawled on her couch and places her tablet on the coffee table so she can talk to him while lying down. He then notices the bottom half of her pajamas. He expected pants, but the image of shorts surprises him. Her bare legs are thick and toned, just like her rear end. He's hit with the urge to run his hands down those thighs, wondering how they would feel wrapped around his waist. 

Oliver admonishes himself. More and more those kinds of thoughts have been blossoming in his head.

* * *

One day, Felicity introduces Oliver to a game called two truths, one lie. Of course they bicker about him not knowing it. “All you need is now is tell me you never played spin the bottle,” she quips.

He agrees to it without much thought, and a voice deep inside him whispers that he’s getting to a point where he’d agree to anything the stunning blonde proposed.

“During a night out I stole a traffic cone in the street, put on my head and pretended it was a Sorting Hat and I was sorted to Slytherin,” Oliver says during one of his turns, making Felicity, a Potterhead herself, cackle. “I was caught with the wife of one of my father’s partner in an awkward situation during a business dinner when I was nineteen. I have archery skills.”

Felicity snorts. “You’re making it too easy, Queen. Obviously the archery thing is a lie.”

Oliver smirks in triumph, already expecting her to fall for the trap. “Nope.”

Her jaw falls. “What? Then what is the lie? I mean, the previous ones are absolutely believable.”

Oliver previously told her he was once an asshole with no scruples who toyed with women.

“The traffic cone is the lie,” he reveals.

“No way!” Felicity protests. She bounces on the couch. “Ok, Robin Hood, now tell me this archery thing, I’m so curious.”

He lies back further in his pillow. This time he’s in his bedroom. “It started because of a girl, in fact-”

“Obviously,” she teases. He throws her a fake annoyed glare, which only makes her chuckle.

“I wanted to get closer to her and get to know her better and her father was an archery instructor, so I signed for a few classes. Except I really liked the thing so I dove into it. It was the first time in my youth that I sensed I was actually good at something. Archery is about mastering control and this brought me a rush I’d never felt before. My parents thought it was nonsense, of course, but they looked the other way because it made me less prone to make shit that they had to erase with their money and power. I ended excelling at it, joined competitions and really saw a professional future for myself. Then my parents, who always wanted me to take over the company, threatened to cut me off, I didn’t care as I had some sponsors, so they did and I really immersed myself in the sport. I went a medal at the Panamerican games and was on my way to become an Olympic archer.”

Felicity looks impressed. “I can see how much archery means to you. It’s great to see.”

His speech stirred dark, muddy waters within him, but Felicity’s compliment makes him feel tingles. Good, thrilling tingles. Her words soothe him and the knot in his chest uncoils.

“I’m sure you miss it, right? Being in lockdown and everything. I mean, it’s not like your apartment has much space to use a bow and arrow.”

“I do. I still practice archery as a hobby, but it is something that calms me whenever I feel on edge. That grounds me, makes me feel I’m in control.” His confession comes from deep within his soul. He never said any of that to anyone, that his past sometimes still threatens to devour him, though today he’s way better then back then. But he knows, just like the sky is blue and light is faster than sound, that Felicity won’t judge him.

She lays her arm and head on a cushion, looking so comfortable lying down on her couch. “So what happened?” Her voice is soft, welcoming. She gives him the space to speak and also stop if he wishes. Somehow this just makes him go deeper.

“My parents die in a helicopter accident. Thea barely makes it and spends months in coma.” He tries to use the cold, distant tone he uses with everybody in the very few times he spoke about his trauma.

Except Felicity is the furthest thing from being anybody, so he fails. But he doesn’t care.

Pain. Pain everywhere as his darkest memories overtake him. Agony rises in his heart, pumping it in his entire body through blood. His breathing fails, the dreadful feeling of nothingness ironically filling his chest, so much it feels like it’s going to eat him alive. He’s suddenly the boy who feels utterly hopeless and alone from years ago.

The worst part is that he never made amends with Robert and Moira Queen. His parents died with resentment between them and they never talked about his choice of career. Never personally saw him firing an arrow. Though sometimes it felt like they were steps away from reconnecting, fixing their relationship. He saw a glimpse of pride in his father’s eyes when he learned Oliver was going to the Olympic games being a gold-medal favorite. Oliver still remembers, after the funerals, finding the draft of a letter of his mother saying she’s seen some videos of his competitions and that he was remarkable.

“Thea miraculously recovers after a year, with some sequels, but nothing that stops her from living. Then the family business starts to crack, my other relatives try to take advantage of it, along with some executive members. It turns into an ugly war. I mean _ugly._ This woman Isabel claims she was pregnant with my father’s child and wanted to inherit some of the company, which eventually was proved to be a lie. So I stepped down from being an Olympic archer and decide to take matters into my own hands. Enrolled in Starling University, finished my degree and joined QC, the thing my parents always had pride and wished for it to being a driving force to change the city, make it better. And here I am.”

Felicity’s eyes shine with tears and it startles Oliver, taking him off his misery for a second. Her face is filled with sorrow, support and compassion. She commiserates with him and he is lost for words.

“Oh Oliver...” Her voice shakes with emotion. “I’m so, so sorry for making you relieve these things.”

He shakes his head. “No, I wanted to share it. I never did with anyone back then and I know the price I paid, still pay, for it. If anything, I’m sorry for dumping this on you.”

“Nonsense,” she states categorically. “I’m glad I earned you trust enough for you to share such trauma with me.” She opens a warm, comforting smile.

Oliver’s insides twist. _Trust._ He doesn’t know how or when it happened but it’s true. He _trusts_ Felicity.

“You’re absolutely strong, you know that?” she says. “Suffering through all of this at once on your own and still finding something good to fight for.”

The admiration in her voice spreads to her expression and the glow in her eyes. Admiration _for him._ His eyes burn with tears made of anguish, relief and her acceptance. Some escape, the first tears shed in years about this. The first tears he shed with someone other than Thea. But, contrary to back then, he doesn’t feel weak. He uses his thumb to dry them.

“Hey... I’m sending virtual hugs. Imagine I’m hugging you, okay?” Felicity speaks and somehow he feels her support enveloping him. Going through the storm doesn’t feel so destructive anymore. Not when once the cold wind stops and the thick, dark clouds disappear and the bone-chilling water dries there’s the sun waiting to greet him. And he fills the sunshine in his flesh, bones and soul.

Oliver is not much of a hugger, but he aches wanting to feel Felicity in his arms.

“I have a question,” she states once he feels calmer.

“Wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.” A smile inevitably escapes through the corner of his lips.

“Can you show me your medals and prizes?” She gets excited. “ _Oooh_ do you have your bow there? Can you show me? What are your arrows made of? Carbon? Or an aluminum-carbon composite? I don’t understand why I’m so curious because I don’t like pointy things, but there’s physics behind archery and I like physics.”

Felicity Smoak is constantly surprising him. He laughs while getting up from the bed. They spend the next hour geeking about archery.

* * *

Oliver likes Felicity.

Likes _likes._

He’s undeniably developing feelings for her.

_It is ridiculous._

They never even met in person, they just video chat. But in times like these, isn’t this type of socializing the closest to human contact mankind has? To actually getting to know someone? They contact each other every day, both during business and casual hours. If they’re not seeing each other through a screen, they’re watching movies via the app, calling, texting and sending memes – at least Felicity is. They shared the current state of their daily lives, their likes and hobbies, pieces of themselves and their individual stories. Hell, Oliver even told her things he never did with anybody else. She became an essential part of his life and if a day goes by without seeing her face, it feels weird. Incomplete. And he dislikes it.

Felicity proves to be the emotional support he never knew he needed. She understands everything he is, the good and the bad.

Now he finds himself thinking about her especially when they’re not talking. He wants to kiss her so badly butterflies fill his stomach just with the mere thought, and Oliver was never the kind of man to feel sappy, movie-like things. Never thought he’d be capable of feeling such.

Felicity ignites his imagination. He wonders what it would be like to feel her lips on his, to taste her, run his tongue on her lips, suck them, especially the lower one she likes to nip and the image distracts him. Wonders what it would feel being in her arms as well as wrapping her in his. To hold her, feel her physical warmth. Wonders how it would be like making love to her, feel her body against his, moving against his, her seemingly soft curves against his hard edges. What it’d be like to give her pleasure. How she would sound like in the midst ravishing passion, her pants, her breathing his name. He wants to cherish and take care of her. He thinks about taking her on a date, cooking for her, sharing a bottle of wine or simply cuddling in the couch watching all the shows she loved. Teaching her how to shoot with a bow and arrow.

The depth of his yearnings should be scarier but no.

Knowing he will never have any of that fills him with sadness. And taints his dreams.

He wants it so bad. He’s never wanted another woman in his entire life with such intensity.

He’s going crazy.

It makes no sense being attracted to someone who he never touched or felt beside him. Who lives far away from him and who he will probably never meet. His stomach sinks with the thought.

The whole thing between them probably started because they live alone and were feeling a bit lonely. Once the project finishes, Felicity will go her merry way just like him and their lives will go on. Separately.

So this has to stop. There's absolutely no future for them.

He has to get a grip of his feelings.

Though there’s a part of him that doesn’t want to.

It's insane risking having a broken heart because of expectations.

* * *

The buzz hammering his ears that blocks the world eventually dampens along with the rest of the chaos. Nervous energy reverberates through him. It sharpens his senses, makes him hyperaware. He can’t keep his body still, his fingers curl, tension is on his shoulders. His chest is still constricted, breathing not as smooth as usual.

When he comes back to his senses, Oliver leaves the bed, casting aside the covers that tangled on his legs. The only good side of it is that he didn’t wake up completely covered, otherwise he would’ve felt suffocated. The corner of his sight captures the stains of sweat he left behind. Some drops still roll down over his temple, his chest and stomach.

Oliver is an organized man, his apartment always tidied up, but he files fixing the mess for later. Instead, he wastes no time and starts a series of exercises.

The energy changes. He’s the one in control now. Soon his breathing merges with the rhythm of his moves, the sweat comes from working out. His muscles burn, showing they’re alive, and he relishes in the feeling. It’s amazing.

He loses track of time, only stopping when his phone rings. Luckily he just finished, so he grabs the device. There’s only one person he would answer now, and the corner of his lips curve in an involuntary smile. Warmth spreads on his chest, powerful enough to turn the faint remains of anxiety into dust.

“Felicity, hi. Good morning.” His voice comes out in a raspy breath.

He’s welcomed by a bright image and notices she’s outside at her courtyard. The sun is around her and for a moment he thinks she’s a figment of it. That she’s actually made of sunshine.

Felicity, however, doesn’t answer right away. Her gaze drifts down to his chest. The way the tip of her tongue moistens her lower lip added to the hungry way she’s looking at him ignites raw desire inside him, a wave of lust like he never felt before. His body twitches in response, and he needs to remain in control, but _god_. Even though they’re separated by a screen, he swears he feels the sizzling tension. It doesn’t help that he hasn’t been with a woman in a long time, even before the damn lockdown began – and Felicity is unlike any woman.

His free hand turns into a fist as he’s once again filled with the need to light the sparks between them and set the world on the most exquisite, mind-blowing fire.

“Wow abs, so many abs,” she absentmindedly mutters.

His chuckle gets him out of his lecherous reverie – and apparently hers too. “Uh... thank you?” Oliver captures the awe-struck expression and can’t help but feeling a bit smug. At the least the damn nightmare had a pleasant consequence.

She blushes ferociously. “You should warn a girl before answering a call naked. Never took you for a narcissist or a show off. Though you do have a lot to show.” She waves her hand towards the image of his abdomen.

Oliver curves even more his lips, now grinning, dimples make an appearance. “I’m not naked, Felicity,” he states then moves the phone to show the shorts he’s wearing. When he places the camera back at his face, he adds, “I was working out.”

“Of course,” she mumbles. Adjusts her glasses, her posture on the chair, takes a sip from a mug – he knows it’s coffee, she’s an addict – then draws another deep breath. “You’re probably the only person in the world who didn’t skip his workout regime during this crazy time,” she adds trying to return to their usual banter-y conversation.

He closes off, the light on his face dimming and darkness taking over. Immediate worry washes over her, the mood between them changing. “I had a bad dream this morning. So I woke up and decided to channel the nervous energy into something productive,” he says with a heavy tone.

“Oh. You know if you want to talk about, I’m here for you,” she says full of kindness. “Anytime. You can even call me when bad stuff happens.”

“I would never wake you up in the middle of the night,” he says in a struggle. He doesn’t want anyone else being dragged by the broken part of him, much less someone as sensational as Felicity.

“Hey, sometimes I’m an owl. Mostly because I get too crazy coding.” Felicity shrugs. “So...?”

Then he confides in her.

* * *

As the end of the project approaches, Oliver wakes up every day and numbers all the reasons he mustn’t dwell on his feelings for Felicity. He makes a huge effort to push them away because they will never meet.

He knows he shouldn’t want her, but it’s inevitable.

At one point, during one of their casual talks, he sees a glimpse of bleakness cast a shadow on her delicate features. Her smiles don’t seem to reach her eyes. And he’s suddenly hit with the idea that maybe she’s feeling the same as him.

Maybe she likes him just as much.

Maybe she’s decreasing their contact so it won’t hurt so much.

_Maybe, maybe, maybe..._

The thought energizes him. For a delirious second, he seriously cogitates telling her how he feels.

But-

He has to stop dangling maybes. What would he do with them? So she liked him, how on earth would that work between then? Wait until the lockdown ended and see each other?

No. Dangling maybes is just another way to feed expectation neither should have.

It's insane how a person can miss another without never truly having them.

He knows what he has to do, though every fiber of his being protests against. When they end their call that day, the peace and contentment he always felt with her are tainted by sadness.

Today he begins saying goodbye to her.

* * *

Oliver and Felicity’s daily talks noticeably diminish. Their biweekly movie sessions become weekly then they no longer exist. Every time he or she strips away one thing that became _them_ during this couple of months, he gets a pang in his chest. He’s already missing her. Her quirks, her laugh and dazzling smiles, her voice, her incessant chatter, her crazy pajamas, her humor. The light of the joyous place she carved inside his heart dims, a candle slowly dying. Somehow he knows it will never be entirely extinguished as this would mean he would forget Felicity.

Oliver is incapable of forgetting her.

He sees her. She resembles home, a home he can’t have as the world is not perfect.

They don’t talk about the reason behind the distancing, yet there’s an unspoken agreement of sorts. Bitterly, Oliver thinks their connection is so outstanding they even agree on this.

After all, their reasons are one, are the same.

There’s a part of him that claims they could remain just friends. Having a piece of Felicity is better than having nothing at all, right?

But people’s natural tendency is to guard their hearts to avoid pain. Oliver has to stop this before he finds himself completely, head-over-heels in love with Felicity.

And so the final meeting arrives. The project was overall a professional success. Not only he had much fun with it – he knows the biggest reason is the genius blonde – but he also learned a lot. Yet as Oliver smiles and congratulates his team, he feels iron bars clenching his chest and a sour taste in his mouth. He wants to let go but at the same time he doesn’t.

Oliver thinks he will still be in touch with the project in terms of marketing and such, but not Felicity.

The teams log off, only Oliver and Felicity remain. He knows deep in his bones this is their last talk. Neither is acting like they usually do.

* * *

The truth is, Oliver is unaware Felicity reciprocates his feelings. These last months have been as much of a ride for her as it has for him.

As time runs its inevitable course, Felicity realizes that never in her entire life has a work project been so rewarding. And not because of the creative process.

Not, it’s because Felicity Smoak is drawn to mysteries. Her analytical brain can’t bear crossing paths with anything that comes with a lot of questions. The journey of discovery ignites her curiosity, feeds her soul as well as her mind.

Computers are easy for her. Wires, boards, tiny, delicate components, zeros and ones. There’s logic, there’s a beautiful and intricate flow from point A to B.

Her curiosity doesn’t stop there and sometimes people ignite it.

And Oliver Queen definitely is one of these people. He becomes quite a mystery for her.

She’s heard of him before, though remotely. After their first meeting, she couldn’t help running a quick search on his name. She couldn’t identify him at first, since the infamous image they have is from years and years ago. Once a womanizing playboy, now a frivolous executive at his family’s company. He’s still photographed with stunning women, but way less, and he even though he’s still a beloved figure for tabloids, he hardly ever appears on them anymore since there are no more scandals, thus sparking rumors as to why he changed to much. She imagined him to be a typical, cliché cold bastard.

All this is, of course, how the media portrays him.

Such image has been stripped down little by little from the moment she laid her eyes on him. She found it amusing he struggled with technology and later was impressed with his business skills.

Then they talked in person and she saw that, yes, he is an introspective guy, but there’s so much more, so much complexity. His inner beauty is even more striking then his outer beauty, and this is saying a lot. He looks better on live screen, and Felicity reckoned it’s because she sees the real Oliver, or at least a genuine piece of it.

Every day they interact she swears she gets a new piece. She gathered them all and put together the puzzle.

So yeah, she’s drawn to Oliver Queen. There isn’t even the slight resemblance of doubt.

She’s pretty sure she’s been attracted to him from the moment they met, however she always managed to keep it at bay. Sometimes it slipped through the cracks, of course, like when he answered the call naked. At least it seemed until he showed he was half-naked.

Still, her treacherous eyes fell immediately on his chest. She already anticipated he was well-built with his broad shoulders and how the clothes clung to his body, but seeing the reality threw her completely off balance. Surprise made her brain short-circuit, and she ogled the lean, solid muscles covering his arms, chest and belly.

A stream of passion filled her, drowning her in a lecherous reverie, flames of unbridled want licking her core. She wondered what it would be like touching him. Tracing the hard ridges with her fingers, diving into those valleys. She imagined it’d be a mix of hard and soft. Imagined running her mouth all over him, licking and nipping. She envied the drops of sweat that contoured his body.

Oliver looks like he was carved out of marble like the images of so many sculptures she’s seen. But better. Because he is real. Not only he’s beautiful, but he’s kind, brave and strong and got just the right amount of broodiness. He's a teddy bear with abs.

He’s insanely hot, got that sharp stubbled jaw, the intense blue eyes that carry turbulent shadows of trauma, vast intelligence, vulnerability, endless generosity. His hard edges at the same time complements and contradicts his cute dimples. His slightly dangerous posture could make him a CEO and a deadly mafia boss all together. And he’s also unbelievably _adorable._ His grins are rare, yet when she sees them her heart flutters. His dimply grin is the type of smile that changes days and worlds and makes lives worth living. When smiling like that he looks like a school boy. Oliver is _everything,_ danger and sin and comfort all rolled into one man.

Trust blossomed between them as natural as the sun rises in the east, but instead of fighting it like her past roared and claimed, she knew it was a lost battle, so she cherished it. She knew he wasn’t an open man, so every time he confides in her is precious.

Felicity is an extrovert person, but she’s a tough husk when it comes to personal things. Yet she easily shares her story with Oliver. From her childhood to MIT to being in an emotionally exhaustive relationship with Cooper that only added her psychological baggage her father leaving started.

She’s equally interested in him and sits quietly as Oliver gradually reveals pieces of himself, her babbling nature for once under control. He never denied he was a prick at a young age, but it was beyond clear how much he changed. Felicity aches for him. She’s horrified when he tells her about his family’s heartbreaking accident, her eyes filling with tears imagining Oliver all by himself, having to abandon his dream to take care of his family’s business and all the crap that came with it. Of course he still has bad dreams about it.

She wants to be there for him. Physically.

Felicity realizes her crush on her temporary co-worker is a little bit deeper, feelings evolving. She fought it, but right there she can no longer hide it. She is well aware they have to die down. They don’t even live in the same city, for goodness’ sake.

But of course it’s fitting for her. Being infatuated with an unavailable man. Harboring feelings for someone she barely knew. Someone who will eventually leave her just like everybody does. Someone who shouldn’t have her trust.

Maybe she’s projecting. Maybe it’s wishful thinking. After all he has the qualities she admires in a person. He’s successful, kind, has a dry humor that matches her bubbly one, he’s serious when he has to be. Yet she can’t be with him. She has him now, but not how she wants, not in the long-run. Oliver has everything for her to fall for. There's an identification between then, the _something_ that drew them to each other, making them quickly become friends and quickly trust each other. Felicity knows falling for him would be earth-shattering, so easy she wouldn’t feel, and it would take every single piece of her. And, worse, she would be willing to jump off the cliff and give everything. And she senses it would be the same for him.

Talk about epic self-sabotage.

Still she can’t help but wonder. If it weren’t for the pandemics, they would personally meet. And who knows what would have happened?

But thinking like this, in destiny’s terms is dangerous. There’s no such thing as fate.

Oliver crossed her path for a reason. To be a safeguard during such a chaotic time. To give her laugh and moments of fun and fill her with goodness. To remember her what humanity is.

And above all to teach her about expectations.

So as the project reaches its end, just like Oliver, she at the same time gradually diminished their friendly time. When time came to part ways, it wouldn’t hurt so much.

However just the thought hurts her already. She doesn’t want to be without him. She still wants to be at least his friend.

She wants _him._

But she can’t handle someone she cares for so deeply leaving her again.

Eventually, the last day came. Felicity hates uncomfortable silences, always knows what to say but now, facing him… She’s lost for words like never before.

“Well, this was an interesting endeavor,” she begins to avoid dragging the heavy charge in the air for too long.

“In so many ways,” Oliver agrees in a somber tone.

“We did quite a good job. We make a great team.” The smile that curves her mouth is sincerer than expected.

“Oh yeah. I gotta say, I think I learned more than I actually worked on this.”

“Learning while working is the best way to learn. Because you see in front of your eyes what you’re building.” Her hands wave, her eyes sparkle, her passion for her work overtaking for an instant. Felicity misses the barely-there smile Oliver cracks seeing her like this. He loves how much she loves building and innovating and changing the world little by little.

They exchange a glance, allowing themselves to live just one more moment the relationship they developed over the last couple of months.

Then it’s gone.

“So that’s it huh?” A lump closes her throat.

“Yeah. Now the final steps separately and then going public. Launch parties are common, but let’s see if everything is back to normal when we reach this stage.” _Don’t go there_ , she yells on the inside, smothering the seed of hope. Because it’s indeed possible that, if there’s a launch party down the road, they would meet in person.

“Whatever happens, I know it will be a success.”

They look at each other, one more moment of reflection, so much left unsaid, their connection still there though they fight to disguise it.

“Thank you for everything.” Oliver’s voice is deep, words encapsulating a world behind. His face betrays nothing, but she gets a glimpse of how his eyes became an ocean of emotions. For someone so cool and collected, he emotes like no one.

“Thank _you._ ”

“I wish you all the best this world has to offer. Because, Felicity,” He breaths her name with his unique, soft way, the voice that only belongs to her and she shivers, branding the sound in her mind. She doesn’t want to forget it, “you are absolutely remarkable.”

“Thank you for remarking on it. And Oliver…” She pauses, two heartbeats drum in her ears. “Don’t worry about becoming a CEO. You’re a natural leader and I’m sure you’re gonna shine.”

Her ultimate belief makes his breath hitch. He swallows the lump on his throat, and contradictory feelings clench his heart.

They say goodbye full of false formality and finish the call.

Individually, without the other knowing, they keep staring at the blank screen for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somebody teach me how to write short things.
> 
> I know, I know, the ending was mean.
> 
> My plan was to write this entirely in Oliver's POV, but that's the thing about writing, most of the time the story takes you.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this. I'd love to know if you did  
> Take care, wash your hands and put on your masks before fighting racism ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look what no longer is a one-shot!
> 
> I was absolutely overwhelmed with your reaction. Seriously, so many comments. Needless to say your response inspired me and now we’ll have five chapters total.
> 
> Thank you SO much!

“Our joint project with Helix Dynamics has been way more beneficial and profitable than expected. The merit, of course, lies with our team of experts and Mr. Queen’s outstanding leadership. Especially considering the unusual circumstances,” Walter Steele, current CEO and Oliver’s mentor, says.

The board members sneak glances at Oliver that carry a variety of feelings. Some seem impressed, some wary. Oliver has known since he became an executive that there are people in Queen Consolidated’s board who would like to see him fail. Who expected him to be a lousy employee since they only know - only want to know - the playboy. Who are just waiting for an epic slip to take him out and thought the Helix project would be it since technology is not his thing. Oliver doesn’t give a damn to what others think of him, so doesn’t feel smothering pressure. The only people he doesn’t want to fail are his parents and Thea.

A master of concealing, he keeps his expression schooled, never showing a thing. He knows this detached behavior also makes some members see him as an arrogant bastard.

But he knows, beneath those façades, there are people bitter that he’s an excellent employee. That he’s an effective drive force that is making a difference at the company. His work speaks for him.

Oliver has proved again how his enemies are wrong. So spectacularly wrong. There’s a tiny, petty side of him that fills with pride with another win, but he doesn’t dwell on it. Celebrate petty victories and he resembles them.

Oliver nods and says a few words, complimenting his team and Helix’s. Something tugs at his heart as it always happens whenever he thinks of her.

It’s been two months, the lockdown is over and the country is going through the final steps of reopening and everything is almost back to normal. Even his anxiety is under control. Oliver is back at working at the Queen Tower, and this is the first board meeting since everybody returned to office.

Oliver moves his gaze to Walter. One of his father’s closest friends, the British man took over after Robert’s passing and became Oliver’s mentor. Oliver feels Walter is the only one who truly, selflessly supports and believes in him in that big, modern conference room. His dark eyes carry a glint of pride. This is the only approval Oliver allows himself to feel. He would never be this successful if it weren’t for Walter.

“Last week the government allowed small events back, so I think it’s time to go public with our partnership with Helix in a decent launch event,” Walter says.

Another tug, but sharper this time. Like a dagger poking his heart. Oliver for the first time struggles to keep his indifference.

A launch party means the Helix team will come.

That Felicity will come.

Just her name triggers a myriad of emotions. Light, joy, comfort. Missing, yearning.

Two months since he last saw or talked to her.

Oliver thought about her almost every day.

His heart leaps every time his eyes brush over her name when he’s sliding through his contact list. Many times he gazed at her contact info on his phone. He kept her photo - the same photo, the silly screenshot - as he was incapable of erasing it. Full cheeks, pouty lips, a frozen intrigued expression in the midst of a speech. He still remembers perfectly the moment. She was talking about how kangaroos weird her out.

Countless times over these months he saw something that resembled her and felt the urge to text her. He even took his phone and opened the texting app. There were moments he typed something and was on the edge of sending, but changed his mind the last minute. His masochist side made him read all their old texts once. The logic of moving forward tells he should erase those texts, but he doesn’t want to. He already erased so much of who they were. Also, if he’s having a bad day, one of Felicity’s humorous texts or memes tends to cheer him up – even if it comes with a painful twinge inside. Remembering who they were was too much.

Oliver likes to say he’s over his infatuation for her, nowadays he denies his feelings until the end, strongly believing in it, but it’s a big fat lie.

And now he’s facing the possibility of seeing her again. _For the first time_ , his brain corrects - helpfully or not he can’t tell. He would finally meet her in person.

The other members agree the launch party is a great idea. QC’s first big event to announce that, even with the lockdown, the company is still strong. He gets it from a corporate point of view.

So Oliver, as the executive who ran the project, becomes responsible for overseeing the details of the event.

His pulse quickens when it becomes real. He might be seeing Felicity in a few weeks.

At the end of the meeting, he stands up, closes the button of his suit jacket, exchange some words with other employees, then heads back to his office.

Oliver delegates the party details. QC already has their go-to contractor to arrange their important events. The company belongs to no one other than Tommy Merlyn, one of Oliver’s best friends.

On the way back, he tells himself to just do it, no procrastination, and keep it professional the way he always did with other work stuff. He strides past Roy Harper, his Executive Assistant, throwing him a quick greeting, then in a few long steps he’s back at his desk – the same desk that belonged to Robert. The office is not the same, of course, since the CEO’s office is occupied by Walter. But Oliver’s corner office is spacious, clean and minimalist, with just a hint of personal. Plus he got his own bathroom.

“Oh finally back to business!” Tommy exclaims on the other side of the phone when Oliver tells him the news.

Oliver gets it. As an entertainment company, Tommy’s business struggled a lot with the lockdown. QC itself suffered some losses, but it was a worldwide pattern. The goddamned virus wrecked the global economy. Oliver can’t think of a company that didn’t suffer with it.

The two schedule lunch for today to discuss business. After the call, there’s some time to kill, so Oliver briefly goes through emails, which he didn’t do when he arrived because the meeting was the first thing in the morning.

Oliver stares at the phone, his thumb hovering over Felicity’s contact info. His imagination hasn’t been this stirred over her since they said goodbye. He reckons if he should get in contact with her, even under a professional tone. They were friends once, for goodness’ sake, it shouldn’t be this hard.

Attention is diverted with a sound breaking the quiet air of the office. There are very few people allowed to just waltz in. Looking up, eyes meet Thea on the other side of the glass wall. She has a hand on the door’s handle, cracking it slightly open, head turned back as she exchanges words with Roy.

The young man bites back a smile. Oliver has noticed him stealing glances at his sister, and he’s pretty sure Roy has a thing for her. But he knows better not to go after his boss’ sister. Much less when said boss is overprotective with her, even more after the accident. Oliver certainly disapproved this.

However, recently Oliver caught himself a few times thinking Roy should go for it. He knows how Thea still struggles with her self-esteem due to the accident sequels. She lost an ovary, her legs suffered so badly she didn’t recover fully so she can’t run much or wear the crazy high heels she always loved. Not to mention the scars she carries on her skin after the many surgeries she endured. Thea Queen has always been vain, and her body changed after the accident. She’s still a spitfire, snarky and bold, but her cheerful side is now tainted with the trauma.

Oliver hates how much she suffered. He would have changed places with her in a heartbeat, to be the one in the helicopter, to endure the surgeries and pain, to have his body marked. But back then he was still an Olympic archer, some sort of black sheep, distanced from his parents. This is the only reason why he wasn’t with his family. Up to this day, years later, he sometimes still feels guilt. There’s absolutely no reason or logic in feeling guilty, but, in Oliver’s mind, it’s a way to cope, to process what happened. Guilt is an explanation.

He knows Thea, as the only family member who unconditionally supported his dream from the beginning, would berate for him this. She did, in fact, when she caught him brooding and self-deprecating, throwing himself a pity party as she liked to say. After all, he didn’t physically suffer, but the psychological trauma of losing almost his entire family in one moment and not knowing for a year if he’d ever get his sister back was more than enough anguish. More than someone should bear for a lifetime.

Now, to know someone sees Thea for the amazing person she’s always been fills Oliver’s heart. Thea deserves to be admired and cherished that way.

Not to mention after Felicity he found a new way to sympathize with his employee. Roy is infatuated with Thea and she’s right there. He should take advantage from it.

He hopes his sister reciprocates the feelings as well.

Thea says a few more words in her uplifting tone, smiles then turns back at him, face lighting up with the sight of her brother. “Hi Ollie!” she salutes while walking inside, stopping in front of the desk then frowning. “You look distracted today.”

“I don’t.” Discretely, Oliver puts his phone down. But Thea notices and, with a spark of curiosity covering her features, she launches for the phone faster than lightning. “Aha!”

Oliver quickly realizes he didn’t lock the screen before putting it down. Rookie mistake.

“Give me back my phone, Thea,” he says in a low, borderline menacing tone. “I have work to do, I don’t have time for games.” He stands up and towers over his little sister, who doesn’t even mind. Thea is used to Oliver’s crankiness.

“I know you do, Tommy told me.” Thea works part time at Tommy’s company. Organizing events turned out to be her thing as well. She docks his attempt at taking the phone back. Oliver could easily take the damn thing, but he doesn’t want to do anything brisk that might hurt her and she takes advantage of it. “Are you talking with that architect you went on a date with?”

Oliver pauses for a second, confusion drawing his brows together for a second, then his expression relaxes. “I was about to ask how you know about Violet, but then I remembered you and Tommy gossip like old ladies.” He met Violet a few weeks ago when he went with Tommy and Sara to her favorite sports bar. In all honesty, it was his attempt to move on. She was easy-going, independent and had a sharp mind. They had good chemistry, but both were on the same page that they just wanted to blow off some steam, nothing serious.

“At least one of my brothers like to talk.” Thea looks at the screen. “Who is Felicity Smoak? Never heard of her.”

Just listening to her name makes his chest clench.

Truth is, Oliver never told about Felicity to anyone.

Thea’s gaze returns to him, full of curiosity, and he takes another opportunity to reclaim his phone. He fails once again, as she clutches it hard against her chest then slips it into her blouse’s cleavage.

A low rumble escapes Oliver’s pinched lips, his jaw ticking. He schools his features, leveling her with a serious look. He’s the furthest from being the most patient man alive and his bad temper is threatening to rise to the surface. He loves the young woman to death, but it doesn’t mean he would accept her games.

“She was a coworker. She helped me co-lead the project Tommy’s organizing the party for,” he states.

Thea narrows her eyes to him. “Quite an informal photo you got. Also, you don’t use contact photos. Why does she have one?” A smirk dances at the corner of her lips, tugging them up. He already knows the kind of implications behind.

Oliver glares at her, face hardening. Inside his heart is slightly pounding. “We sort of became friends during the project. Hence the photo. She has one of me like this.”

He can see the engines working in her head. Damn, when Thea has something in mind she’s worse than a dog with a bone. “Didn’t this project happen over lockdown?” Oliver nods, still keeping a professional appearance. “How come you never told me about her? You know, since she’s your _friend_.”

Because there’s nothing bad that can’t get worse, the door opens and Roy’s head pops inside. “Mr. Queen, Mr. Merlyn is here.”

“It’s Tommy, Roy! Already told ya,” says the man outside.

“Tommy! Let him in,” Thea says with a grin.

“Thanks, Roy. You can take your lunch break too. I’ll be back in an hour and a half, so take your time,” Oliver informs.

Roy acquiesces, more because the three of them together in the office is quite common. Especially since the death of Robert and Moira unveiled their dirty little secrets, such as Thea’s real biological paternity. The EA leaves, giving space to Tommy, who walks in with the typical swagger in his step. Thea saunters to him, excited.

Oliver knows he’s screwed.

Discussing the launch party over lunch is why Tommy came for, but of course this is no longer the main topic - at least not to Thea. “Tommy, have you ever heard of Felicity Smoak?”

A crinkle forms in Tommy’s forehead as he looks, confused, from Oliver to Thea. “Should I?”

“Oh you definitely should.” Thea is too happy with this for Oliver’s sake. He grunts under his breath. “She’s Ollie’s new bff.”

Tommy immediately glances at his friend.

“She used to be a co-worker,” Oliver says containing a sigh.

Thea removes the phone off her blouse, earning a bewildered look from Tommy that under other circumstances would have been entertaining. “Who he has her personal number and a cute contact photo. And they texted! From the little that I saw, not work-related texts,” she reveals.

Now Tommy boards her train of mirth. “Is that so?” He smirks.

Thea has her own phone in her free hand in the blink of an eye, typing furiously. “Found her Instagram!”

Tommy and Thea lean over the screen as they search through Felicity’s photos. “Damn she’s cute,” his best friend says. “Never mind, she’s gorgeous.”

“Look at her at the beach. Damn, her body! Look at those legs and ass, I’m jealous,” Thea says. “Oh she’s a computer nerd?”

“Beauty and brains huh? You hit jackpot, my friend.” Tommy is impressed.

Thoroughly annoyed, Oliver fights the urge to rip the phone off her hand, to hell with the consequences, growl and ban them from the office forever. But he knows he would just give them more ammunition. “Say whatever you want, I know the truth,” he says instead, still managing to keep a serious tone.

“That you’re hopelessly in love with her?” Thea jokes in a sing-song voice. Oliver freezes for a fraction of second, but she captures. When did she become so aware of his mannerisms? “Oh! _You are_?!”

“No,” he adamantly states.

“But you do have feelings for her,” it’s Tommy’s turn to say.

“No,” the stubborn man repeats.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire.” Then Tommy turn to the woman. “You should follow her.”

Thea’s megawatt smile could power a town for weeks. “Great idea! I mean, I should definitely get to know her.”

 _“No!”_ The word leaves Oliver’s lips before he can control. His stern posture cracks, uneasiness rising. Oliver told Felicity about Thea and she would definitely find fishy if someone named Thea Queen followed her seemingly out of nowhere.

Before Oliver thinks twice, he marches to his sister, takes her phone, unfollows Felicity – he feels that thread of temptation whispering for him to scroll through Felicity’s Instagram account –, hoping for minimal damage – in fact he would’ve liked no damage at all. In the midst, Thea uses his face to unlock his phone again. Oliver curses whoever came with the stupid idea of face id.

“Alright then, if you don’t like her, you won’t mind me calling. After all, you are _friends_ , right, and you worked on this new product together, so she will have to come to launch it, and it would be nice to give her a heads up, huh?”

Oliver’s heart pounds, his eyes focusing on Thea’s finger right above the call button. Panic rises in his chest. He knows she would call.

He’s an adult bordering his thirties, why the heck are they acting like it’s high school? And why does _he_ feel like he’s back in high school with a crush? He didn’t even have a crush back then. Popular, with his stunning looks and privilege, Oliver had any woman he wanted. The conquering game was what gave him the thrill.

A leader knows when he lost a battle. Taking a deep breath, Oliver grumbles against his will, “I was attracted to her a few months ago.”

“There! Was that so hard?” Tommy says, looking so smug.

 _Yes, it was_.

Oliver finally takes his phone back and slides inside the suit jacket’s pocket.

“You still like her, brother dearest,” Thea states.

“Nonsense,” Oliver argues. “We were going through a hard time and only using each other to cope with the lockdown. This was why we might have thought we had feelings for one another. As soon as the project ended, so did our relationship.”

But this is not how he truly feels. Deep inside Oliver knows. He even feels a bit bad with how coldly he dismissed and depicted his and Felicity’s relationship. No, what they had, as briefly as it had been, was sweet and genuine and precious like something he never had before.

He just refuses to admit it. So he lives in denial.

Thea puffs, rolling her eyes. “I’ve never seen a woman mess your nerves this much.”

“Me too,” Tommy agrees, nodding his head. “You know him, Thea, he’s gonna go down swinging.”

“Now I get why you were mopey for weeks.” The brunette narrows her eyes towards him. “Back then I thought it was a weird reaction to the end of the lockdown.”

“Let’s stop with this nonsense and just go to lunch,” Oliver snaps acidly. “I have a lot of work to do after.”

“Fine! But I’m joining lunch too, Captain Grumpy,” his sister says.

It’s a surprise that lunch goes by smoothly. But the secret is out – not that he wanted Felicity to be a secret, it just… happened; it was something so precious Oliver didn’t want to ruin telling the rest of the universe –, so Oliver knows today is just the beginning of his friends nagging him about the incredible genius he was blessed to meet.

* * *

Now that the chest of wonders that is Felicity is open, Oliver can’t stop thinking about her. Just like when he first admitted having feelings for her. Which had stopped over the last weeks – Thea’s so-called mopey phase –, and the new norm was Felicity popping in his mind only once daily.

Oliver feels he’s losing a grip on his control, so he decides to go to the range one day to get a hold of his messy emotional state. He manages to tune out the world and his issues for a considerable amount of time. He connects with the open field around, the chilly breeze, his fingers gripping the compound bow, placing the arrow, holding its end. Inhaling and exhaling the pure air, feeling his lungs filling, expanding, the hushing of tree leaves. His mind sharply and blissfully blanks, his senses heightened, he’s aware of what’s happening around, but not focusing on those, things just pass by.

He shoots, feeling the thrill of hitting the bullseye with no effort. A result of years of practice and a touch of natural talent. He flows with nature, knowing what and how to adjust his shot to make it perfect. He remembers why he loves this sport so much, why he chose to make a career out of it.

It takes one slip for him to go down the rabbit hole again. Somehow, as he’s drawing the string back, a speech about elastic energy fills is mind, an excited feminine voice enouncing it. He remembers the time he and Felicity geeked about archery, how uncharacteristically amazed she was by it. Oliver never met a woman he could impress with archery.

Thoughts wander, changing to other waters. His brain conjures images of the two of them there, Felicity holding the bow, that cute crinkle between her brows whenever she’s intrigued appearing, taking a position. He sees himself correcting her stance. He knows he would have to be close to her, bodies brushing, and imagines his fingers brushing her arm, her heat enveloping him.

He sucks in a sharp breath, his cool posture waving a bit, and the arrow isn’t as perfect as he wanted, landing inches away from the target. _Goddamn it._

Must she take every piece of his life?

He draws all his self-control, takes the damn feelings and images, destroys and set them on fire in his mind, spreading the ashes as far as he can. He forces himself to return to the previous state of mind, but it doesn’t happen one hundred percent. He finishes the circuit, feeling frustrated he couldn’t achieve his goal.

Then Oliver calls QC’s head of security and his other best friend John Diggle and they meet at the gym for an intense workout. Their sparring session goes well, at least Oliver thinks so, even though he loses more rounds than he would’ve liked. Which of course sparks Diggle’s curiosity, since the future CEO sure has a competitive trait. Not to mention his expression is even somber than usual.

“Are you gonna say something or are we gonna do this dance a little longer?” Diggle quips, having known Oliver now for years. The man is not a sharer and likes to suffer in silence. He has an almost self-destructive tendency to keep all to himself and sulk alone. When he does say something, it’s usually lashing out in fury, like a time bomb exploding.

He studies his friend’s face, looking for any indication that he may already know something. Thea knows Diggle, better, Thea knows Diggle has a unique way to reach Oliver and make him listen to reason – most of the time; the man is quite possibly the most stubborn human being ever. He’s Oliver’s North in the moral compass. No wonder she calls him Yoda.

_Oh there it is._

Oliver has always known what Yoda was, but after a thorough education in Star Wars from the movie sessions he understands the comparison now more than ever.

Throughout the lockdown, Oliver did consider telling his friends about Felicity. He got this close to talk to Diggle, knowing he is the most sensible of all – Thea’s and Tommy’s reactions proved him why he quickly dropped the idea of saying a thing – but the logic of time made him forget it.

So after the gym they stop to grab some coffee and Oliver talks, with more honesty and truth than with his sister and other friend, about the babbling blonde who charmed him.

Diggle takes his time to respond. “I think you did right by holding back and putting limits between your interactions to avoid your feelings from growing.” His statement causes something to drop inside Oliver’s stomach. Knowing he made the right call doesn’t comfort him. “You live in opposite parts of the country, there’s no way you could begin, much less sustain, a relationship like this.”

Oliver just nods, sipping his coffee. Black, with just a touch of sugar to achieve the best bitter taste. Oh how him and Felicity bickered about this. Her with her funny faces, weirded out by how he can drink pure coffee, and him telling her the crazy, special blends she liked were not real coffee.

The liquid goes down sourly.

“But you are downplaying your feelings. I don’t think you were drawn to her because you were facing a turbulent time and she was a harbor. You were drawn to her for _her,_ period,” Diggle continues his analysis. “Not sure you’re aware of this, but then again, you were never good with dealing and facing your emotions.”

The other man huffs. It is truth though.

“Maybe you are aware and are just in the ‘denied feelings’ state, which would be so typical of you. But I’ve never seen you talk about a woman like this before. You have this glint in your eyes and this special voice whenever you say her name. And, sure, it’s gonna be a bit rough with this launch party, meeting her in person, but you have to remember the reasons why you pushed her away.”

Oliver has known this since forever. Still the truth doesn’t sting any less.

“Do you think I should’ve tried to at least remain friends?”

Diggle takes his time sipping his drink. “It’s a complicated question.”

“It’s a complicated situation.” Sarcasm drips of Oliver’s voice.

The head of security glares at him to shut him up. “On one hand, it’s understandable. You wanted to prevent these feelings from growing to avoid an even bigger mess in the future. Maybe you thought about letting this attraction go away first and then try to be friends? On the other hand, from what you talked, you seemed like you had a solid friendship and throwing away something like this is not the best idea. In the end, I think the right choice changes from person to person. It was up to you and what you thought what was best for _you_ back then.”

Heart-to-heart conversations with Diggle always makes Oliver pensive. He didn’t have a right answer, but he feels a little better.

He has days to prepare for Felicity’s arrival. He knows it won’t be enough, it never will be.

* * *

Oliver discovers at Queen Consolidated that the entire team Helix that worked with him plus some directors and executive members are coming to the launch in Starling.

Which means it is confirmed Felicity is coming. Before it has been just speculation – after all, she was a team leader and it made sense. His heart jumped in his chest when he took a peek at the party’s guest list and her name popped out.

Aside from the party, there would also be a meeting with both companies in QC’s headquarters. So yeah, more time with Felicity than he anticipated.

There’s a knock on the door, followed by “Hello Oliver. May I have a quick word?” He removes his eyes off the computer screen with the report he was working on to find Walter at the door.

“Sure,” Oliver replies, stretching a bit.

His mentor takes one of the white chairs in front of his desk. “It’s about the Helix project. This project is extremely important for QC, of course, but I have to confess I also had a hint of personal interest.” He clasps his hands together. “You see, I’ve been following their VP, Miss Smoak, who you probably know better than me at this point, for a while. In fact, I tried to hire her years ago when she was fresh out of college.”

Oliver stops listening for a second. Felicity almost worked for QC?

“She’s a brilliant woman, and knowing that her work was just what this company needed was a bonus. I’d like to keep a straight bond with Helix, QC might perhaps invest in them as they are, in a lot of ways, a medium company. What I ask is that you make sure Felicity has an adequate welcome here in the city, I’d like you to be her direct contact with QC. I imagine you already have a relationship of sorts with her since you worked so close.”

Nervousness accompanies every beat of Oliver’s heart. His pulse quickens. His boss wants him to strengthen the bond with Felicity.

“You are no stranger to this. Lunches, happy hours, a drink here and then. You know the game. In fact, you are quite remarkable in this game,” the CEO continues, unaware of his uneasiness.

Rationally, Oliver gets it. Helix does amazing things that could definitely benefit Queen Consolidated. He even had some ideas regarding QC’s Applied Sciences Division.

Realizing he is too silent, even for his pattern, Oliver clears his throat and forces to speak. “I see. Felicity and I have sort of developed a bond over the course of the project. The lockdown did help, I must say.”

The corner of Walter’s lips curve with a warm small smile. “Oh yes. The lockdown messed people’s minds a lot, but I’m glad something good came out of it.”

Something good that no longer exists, Oliver thinks. Walter doesn’t need to know.

“I’m sure you will do your best, Oliver. I’d love to know after Helix’s visit. And I will definitely be there at the meeting when you and her present the product.” The man rose to his feet, closing the button of his suit jacket. “Well, that is all. I’ll let you go back to your work. See you around, Oliver.”

“See you, Walter,” Oliver says absentmindedly, his brain gears having a hard time processing what went down in the last minutes.

He looks back at the computer screen, the words and numbers no longer making any sense. He gives up, his concentration no longer properly functional, but he doesn’t mind. It’s near the end of the business day anyway.

Deep down he knows what he has to do.

Tommy and Sara invited him for drinks, but he decides right here, right now he won’t go. He wasn’t much excited anyway, since his friends most of the time annoy him talking about Felicity with devilish smirks. Sara is even following her on Instagram for Oliver’s horror.

After Roy leaves and most people do, Oliver removes his tie, opens the first two buttons of his shirt and rolls his sleeves up, feeling a bit constricted. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm his senses, he opens the email and searches for Felicity’s. It makes sense. Emails dance with professional and personal boundaries. They’re presenting a product and they have to communicate.

Oliver spends a ridiculous amount of time writing the damn thing. He loses counts of how many times he starts, writes a few sentences, erases everything then processed to begin again. He mutters under his breath, feels the urge to tear down the computer. He portrays his nervousness with rage. After long frustrating minutes, he gets up, heads to the small bar placed on one corner. With a glass in hand, he pours one – better, _two_ – generous doses of a fine bottle of scotch. _Fuck it._ Since he changed ways, he was never the man who solved his issues with alcohol, but right now he needs a boost.

Placing the glass on the table, he drops on his seat and writes the most difficult email he ever had to.

* * *

The next day he opens his inbox to find Felicity’s name right on top.

Her reply was professional, but also kind. He didn’t expect it, but then again Felicity is so thoughtful he thinks she can’t simply turn it off. The tightness in his chest eases, her words so familiar – though written – he can hear her speaking. A thin threat of their special connection tugs at him, showing it not as dead as he thought it would be.

They exchange emails daily, but only talk about work. She even accepts his offer to pick her up from the airport. It’s an olive branch and he takes it.

* * *

The day has come.

Surprisingly Oliver is calm. Somewhere in the last weeks he accepted he couldn’t control what was coming. His mind didn’t conjure images, roleplaying scenarios of him and Felicity meeting for the first. He did, though, when they were still friends in lockdown.

He gets dressed, dark denim jeans, a button up shirt and a blazer, the perfect image of business casual. He does check his reflection at the mirror with a little more care and attention than he wants, but doesn’t dwell on this.

After a quick breakfast, he grabs phone, keys and wallet and leaves his condo. On the elevator, he wonders if he should get some coffee. It is morning and he knows flights can be a bit tiring.

But then again, he doesn’t know if the flight is on time. So what if he grabs coffee, waits too much, then said coffee gets cold. Nope. He lets her decide on the coffee.

Or anything else really.

Though Oliver has some ideas of his own. He tried to not. But walking around the city over the days since her name took the foreground of his mind, he found himself looking at some things that screamed Felicity. Slowly, a bit against his will, he accessed what he knew about her. He told himself it would be helpful to do as Walter asked.

Though deep inside Oliver isn’t going to rekindle with Felicity just for business reasons. He decided to clean the air between them and just be friends. More and more he wants to be her friend, to go back to how things were. He couldn’t have her, but at least he could still have the movie sessions, the banter and bickering, the crazy texting.

So he sort of made plans. Brunch, some sightseeing, Big Belly Burger because she loves junk food then – if she was up for it – minigolf. Months ago, she once said she enjoyed it.

 _“It’s the only sport I like.”_ The memory echoes in his brain. Instead of repressing it like so many times before, this time he treasures it.

 _“It’s not a real sport, Felicity.”_ A chuckle escaped with the words.

_“For couch potato nerds like me, it is.”_

The minigolf he has in mind is located near the bay, so not only it could be fun, it would present an amazing view of the city.

Confidence fills him. He can do this. Oliver is over Felicity.

The drive to the airport is uneventful. He walks into the domestic terminal right into the arrivals. A quick study of the huge screen informs him the flight from Central City is on schedule and due to arrive shortly.

Oliver’s heart takes its first nervous flip when the flight status changes to “landed.” He places his hands inside his pockets, index rubbing the thumb in slow circles, a twitch in attempt to contain the rising energy.

His breath hitches when an influx of people appears, most definitely from Central City. Antecipation roars inside his veins. Eyes scan faces then-

Colors. Blonde hair. Glasses.

His heart is going to jump out of his throat.

Felicity is here. Felicity is a few feet away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d love to know what you guys thought!
> 
> I’m afraid the next update won’t come as fast as this one because I have a multichapter to update and I’ll focus on it for next week. (If you liked my writing and love AU, angsty slowburn Olicity with a touch of dark and sexy, [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22618519/)  
> )
> 
> See you guys soon. Take care!


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